My cozy chicken and potato soup recipe is so easy to make for weeknight dinners! Russet potatoes create a thick soup base, then I toss in some crispy bacon pieces, shredded chicken, and heavy cream to give it a silky finish. Every step of this soup comes together in one pot, so it’s simple enough to throw together on the busiest nights!
Shredded Chicken Potato Soup with Bacon
I love a creamy potato soup where all the ingredients meld together into a comforting, stew-like broth. So I use starchy Russet potatoes to create that naturally-thick and hearty consistency I crave. Every mouthful is pure delight! Adding leftover or rotisserie chicken to this loaded baked potato soup is a quick and easy way to get that extra boost of protein. Everything balances perfectly into the coziest chicken and potato soup. It’s a belly-warming meal I know my whole family will love!
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Adding the finishing touches!
Stirring in bacon, cream, and leftover chicken right at the end quickly turns this classic potato soup into the coziest meal. I always add fresh herbs and extra bacon to my bowl before digging in!
Creamy Chicken Potato Soup Recipe
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon (chopped into small strips )
- 1 small onion (chopped)
- 3 carrots (chopped)
- 3 ribs celery (chopped)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning (*)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 large Russet potatoes (peeled and cubed**)
- 4-5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken (***)
- ¾ cup heavy cream (room temperature)
Optional Toppings:
- chopped fresh parsley (or chives)
Instructions
- Add the bacon to a large pot or Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Fry until crispy, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon on a paper towel-lined plate, but leave the grease in the pot.6 slices bacon
- To the same pot with the bacon grease, add in the onion, carrots, celery, salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Sauté until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the flour to coat.1 small onion, 3 carrots, 3 ribs celery, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Add the potatoes and chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, immediately reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.2 large Russet potatoes, 4-5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- Stir in the shredded chicken, bacon, and heavy cream. Taste and add in more salt and pepper if needed.3 cups shredded cooked chicken, ¾ cup heavy cream
- Ladle into bowls, and top with a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley or extra bacon pieces to serve.chopped fresh parsley
Notes
- If your bacon rendered a lot of grease (more than about 2 tbsp), you can drain out the excess to prevent an oily soup.
- Once you add the flour, let it cook and dry out for a minute or two before adding the broth. This helps remove the raw flour taste.
- When you add the broth, use a wooden spoon to vigorously scrape the bottom of the pot. This releases all those yummy browned bits into the soup.
- This soup should have a slightly thick consistency, somewhere between a soup and a stew. For a thinner consistency, add more broth. For a thicker consistency, mash some of the potatoes with a potato masher.
- Ladle a small amount of the hot soup broth into the cream, stir it, and then pour the mixture into the pot to temper it and prevent curdling.
- Optionally reserve some of the cooked bacon pieces for topping individual bowls of soup to keep them a bit crispier.
- Right before serving, stir in 1 tsp of fresh lemon juice or a splash of dry white wine to brighten it up.
- Nutritional information does not include optional ingredients.
- Crockpot: Crisp the bacon and sauté the vegetables (onions, carrots, celery) in a pan first to develop flavor, then add them to your slow cooker with the potatoes, seasonings, and 4 cups of broth. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours (or HIGH for 3-4 hours), stirring in the cooked chicken and heavy cream during the final 30 minutes of cooking.
- Instant Pot: Use the “SAUTÉ” function to crisp the bacon and soften the vegetables. Stir in the flour and potatoes, then add the broth and pressure cook on “HIGH” for 10 minutes with a quick release. Once finished, stir in the cooked chicken and cream, using the residual heat to warm them through.
Note: Water, salt, pepper, oil, and broth are not counted as ingredients on this site.
Foolproof Tips
- Choose the right potatoes. I used Russet potatoes for this soup because the high starch content acts as a natural thickener, and I like the way they meld into the broth. Yukon Golds are an excellent alternative. They offer a buttery flavor and a creamy texture, while staying a little firmer.
- Brown the veggies for extra flavor. Instead of just softening the onions and carrots, let them cook until the edges are golden-brown. This brings out the natural sweetness of the veggies to balance the smoky bacon and savory chicken.
- Don’t overcook the potatoes. Because the potatoes are cut into cubes, they don’t actually take long to cook through. Start checking them around the 10 minute mark — they’re ready as soon as they’re tender enough to pierce with a fork.
How to Make Chicken and Potato Soup Step by Step
Prep: Gather the list of ingredients for this easy chicken potato soup recipe. Let the heavy cream come to room temperature while you prep and cook the soup so it mixes in more easily. Chop the bacon into small strips; chop the onion, carrots, and celery; mince the garlic; peel and cube the potatoes; and shred the chicken with two forks (if not already shredded). Line a plate with a paper towel and set aside.
Fry the Bacon: Add 6 slices of bacon (cut into small strips), to a large pot or Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Fry until crispy, about 10 minutes. There’s no need to add any oil or fat here — it will render out of the bacon as it cooks. Once cooked, drain the bacon on the paper towel-lined plate, but leave the grease in the pot. If there is a lot of grease (more than 2 tablespoons), you can drain off the excess to avoid a greasy soup.
Sauté the Veggies: To the same pot with the rendered bacon grease, add in 1 small chopped onion, 3 chopped carrots, 3 chopped ribs of celery, ½ teaspoon of kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper, and ½ teaspoon of poultry seasoning. Sauté until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add in 2 minced cloves of garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Then stir in 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour to coat. This will help thicken the soup. I like to let it cook for a minute or so to remove the raw flour taste.
Cook the Potatoes: Add 2 large peeled and cubed Russet potatoes and 4-5 cups of chicken broth. Scrape the bottom of the pot with your wooden spoon to bring up any stuck-on browned bits — they add tons of flavor! Bring the pot to a boil, then immediately reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when you can easily pierce them all the way through with a fork.
Add the Chicken, Bacon, and Cream: Stir in 3 cups of shredded cooked chicken, the cooked and drained bacon pieces (you can reserve a few for topping individual bowls, if you like), and ¾ cup of room-temperature heavy cream. You can temper the cream by stirring a bit of the hot broth into it, then stirring it into the pot of soup — this helps protect it from curdling due to rapid temperature change. Taste and add in more salt and pepper if needed. The soup should be slightly thick, but not quite stew consistency. If desired, add more broth to thin out the consistency; or mash some of the potatoes to thicken it up.
Garnish and Serve: Ladle your shredded chicken potato soup into 4 bowls, and top each one with a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley and/or extra bacon pieces to serve. A teaspoon of fresh lemon juice or white wine vinegar really brightens things up!
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
Let leftover chicken bacon potato soup cool to room temperature, then store it in an airtight container. If freezing, be sure to portion it out to make reheating easier.
- Fridge: Keep soup in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Freezer: Keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Note that potatoes don’t always thaw or reheat well after freezing.
- Reheat: Reheat soup in a pot set over medium-low heat until warmed through. Individual portions can be reheated in a microwave in 30-second increments, stirring between, until hot. If the soup thickens too much in the fridge, simply add a splash of broth or water when reheating to bring it back to your desired consistency.
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